The present invention relates to an adjustable restraint system for confining articles within a desired space within a storage compartment such as an automobile trunk.
Storage compartments on automobiles and other mobile vehicles are used to transport articles such as packages, grocery bags, luggage, boxes and the like. Unrestrained these articles are free to move about the storage compartment in response to vehicle movement and sudden stops. Often, packages will slide to the rear of the storage compartment, making it difficult for individuals to reach them. Grocery bags will turn over or fall on their side causing damage to the food products therein. Thus, it is highly desirable to provide some means for restraining articles within these storage compartments during vehicle movement.
A number of restraining devices have been developed over the years. One of the earliest approaches for restraining or stowing cargo is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,705,060 to Hintz. In this approach, relatively thin binders are used to draw a plurality of packages together. The binders are temporarily supported in spaced relation to each other by supports adapted to be applied to walls of the vehicle or carrier. The packages to be restrained are loaded into a space at least partially surrounded by the binders. Tension is then applied to the binders to draw them tightly around the packages. The application of tension to the binders detaches the temporary supports from the walls. While this type of approach has commercial applications, it really has no utility in day-to-day ordinary applications such as bringing home groceries from the supermarket.
More typical article restraining systems employ anchor devices mounted to the walls of a storage compartment and one or more flexible tie members secured to the anchor devices for engaging and restraining articles. U.S. Pat. No. 3,438,673 to Nelson illustrates a luggage retainer wherein metal anchoring devices are mounted to the walls of an automobile trunk. The anchoring devices each have a plurality of eyes through which nylon cords are laced. U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,771 to Callihan illustrates a similar article restrainer having a plurality of wall mounted anchors, a flexible panel for engaging the article(s) to be restrained, and a plurality of cords passing through the sleeves in the flexible panel to suspend the flexible panel between the anchors. Locking means are provided to keep the cords in a taut condition. The article or articles to be restrained are positioned between the flexible panel and a wall of the vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,808,290 to Nelson illustrates a cargo restraining device for use with rear decks on automobiles. The device includes a wall anchor, a restraining sheet of flexible material mounted at one end to the wall anchor and mounted at the other end to a U-shaped anchoring member, and a bracket mounted to the underside of the deck for engaging the U-shaped anchoring member.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,540,213 to Herlitz et al. illustrates another type of fixed cargo restraining system. In this system, a series of article storage spaces are defined by a plurality of slats fixedly secured to the floor of a cargo space by hinges, a transverse cross rail connected to the slats, brackets mounted to walls of the storage compartment and tie members connected to the cross rail having loops to be attached to the brackets. In its raised mode, this system defines compartments in which cargo such as grocery bags may be supported.
Another type of restraining system which has been used is a pallet type system where cargo is secured to a pallet or a tray and the pallet or tray is placed within the cargo compartment and secured in position by a locking mechanism. One such system is illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 3,195,745 to Cretsinger. Such systems are not particularly useful since the hardware used to secure the tray or pallet is very complex and takes up valuable space in the cargo compartment.
There remains a need for a simple cargo restraining device which effectively holds articles in a desired location and which can be readily removed from the storage compartment when not needed. One of the principal deficiencies of the prior art restraint systems is their reliance upon elements fixedly secured to the walls of the storage compartment.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a restraint system for confining articles within a desired space within a storage compartment.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an article restraint system as above which is adjustable and may be used in a wide variety of vehicles.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a restraint system as above which may be easily removed from the storage compartment when not required and easily stored.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a restraint system as above which is relatively inexpensive to produce and simple to use.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become clearer from the following description and drawings wherein like reference numerals depict like elements.